Sorry for the delay

Aha! I finally have found time to write on the blog, so this is actually last week's post, and another one this week will shortly follow.

Unfortunately for those who read about photomonth, it has been a crazy heck month for me, between finding a flat mate, a social life and writing my script(which I am avoiding doing by writing this.

Also! i am now on facebook!Thats right I have a fan page now, so if youre on it Join me! i will be sending out regular updates about blog posts and any other notices. the address is http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=61001487&banter_id=36700613&show_all=#/pages/Sharan-Balani-Photographer/34393581020?ref=s

Now onto the important part! this weeks photos that I have slowly and steadily begun editing from my piles of backlogged photos were taken in Pittsburgh where to pass the time in this lonely town I met up with a model (who is coincidentally the wife of a fellow photographer whose work is incredible). I didnt particularly have any idea's in mind when I came to the shoot, since the model brought all the dress and had a friend of hers, a makeup artist come to the location to help with the makeup, so the concepts for the shoot were made up on the fly.

this first one after seeing her try on the dress I thought a Doll look/theme would work so as the makeup artist go to work I found some chains which I felt might add some contrast to the pictures.








I would also like to mention the previous week on Friday I had the happy oportunity to photograph the infamous Bollywood (or Indian Cinema as he likes to call it) Director Karan Johar for one of my clients. Unfortunately Pics wont come up till after the pictures have been published. But for all my asian fans, keep an eye out ;)

Comming soon: (once I manage to liberate enough space on my laptop for it) CS4 Reviews!

News Bits Tuesday (Or possibly wednesday by the time I finish reading this)

Firstly I would Like to mention the new Change of Name to the site. The blog has oficially changed regimes! It is no longer the painstaking www.pandamonium-arts.com. It has now merged into what I hope will be an easier address to remember, and one more relevant to myself as a photographer. I am proud to take live blog.sbalaniphotography.com. However I wont bore you with too many details, considering I have plenty of news to impart today.

Firstly to enrich your already presumably bored eyes, a few more Images of Manhattan that I forgot to upload from my recent adventures in the land of the Hot Dog and the European Rip off's.






Okay so now that youre eye buds have been satisfied on to the important news:

- It turns out that this last month of October in London is known as the photomonth. Turns out there are a variety of photography based events all over london, particularly the East side. Events including photowalks, Talks, Seminars, Shows etc, and of course I will be trying to keep a track of whats left of it on this blog, so keep an eye. Below I'll list some of upcomming events, and if any of you are interested leave a post and we can link up :D. Keep an eye on this space for future details on the rest of the events of the month:

- 18th October Photowalk @ Bank Street Tube from 10.30am to 1.30pm. (This event is free, you just need to show up at the event)
- 19th October Spitafield Shoot photowalk. (This event is a little more monitored by professionals so it costs 11 pounds per person, and basically they give you a photo treasure hunt with objectives and tasks to push your creative limit) This one is done in groups of four so if its of interested PLEASE contact me because I'm looking for people to photograph with.

More Comming soon... :)

Catching up

Prior to my trip to the United States I had attended the Benalmadena Anime/Comic/Roleplaying convention in Malaga, Spain. I find cons are always a fun and interesting event as there are always people dressed up as cosplayers more than happy to pose for photos



Although I've been to cons before, this was my first one as a photographer resulting in more challenges than I had anticipated, and coming to realisations that some things could have been done easier than the way I had done it. However its always a learning experience. I took the oportunity to get to know people within the communities making it, of course easier for me to get what I needed done for future cons.



My next challenge is to attend one of the UK cons, which are considerably bigger, and of course brimming with quality cosplay's just waiting to be photographed. I was planning to go to the upcomming london expo, but with recent developments I may find myself that weekend in Madrid attendind a photo marathon. We'll see how things turn out

The City Of Angels

Although New York was the first city I chose to talk about regarding my trip to the United States, My first destination was in fact Los Angeles, the city of angels. This was another city that I thoroughly enjoyed visiting. Both cities were certainly nothing like what I was expecting, least of which was inspiring. Each city had its own little quirks and beauties. Although one of the things I hated most about LA was having to drive anywhere. That and the general absence of a guide in LA makes it seem like any other city. But then again a city is only as interesting as you know it. I was fortunate enough to have my Aunt take me around the city, hunting for galleries and the slightly more interesting parts of town. Hence where I discovered the thrift shops that would make portobello road market cry. The ammount of props, and availablity for the old, strange and unnatural bewildered me as I was coming up with creative uses the more I saw. Albeit I found it Oddly disturbing though that more victorian/ post victorian era antiquities were available in American thrift stores than say here in England where it all originated from...does that mean we as Europeans have exported our past to America?




One of my family's favorate places in LA to visit was the Farmers Market. A little dodgy gem of a place tucked away in a relatively high end open air mall called the grove. Its name clearly gives away the ambience of what it essentially is and is not. Whilst fresh fruits and veggies were of course available, Its also a collection of small open air restaurants mostly serving natural or home made goods, such as creppes, or banana leaf type restaurants

Weekend in Madrid

Not too bad, little more than a week since my last post, during which plenty has happened. I spent the weekend in madrid. A feat which turned out to be a very full and tiring weekend. The trip began on friday during which we took a long arduous journey by car from Malaga in the early morn to madrid. I slept during most of this trip. I spent the day just chilling with my cousin and moving around the high street.

The big day though was Saturday. It began with a ridiculously early rise at 6 am, to meet my fellow photographer Hitesh (aka hitkaiser (www.hitkaiser.com)) as you can see in the picture down below



And if you are asking what in dear God's name am I doing up at such an ungodly hour. Well on this very day there was in fact a classic motorbike tour, begining in the little town of barajas between the two madrid terminals of the Barajas airport. ( I was told people there complain about the high noise levels...hmmm). And so we began our fruitfull morning. photographing the various antique wonders and their owners, BUT not before having a fulfilling breakfast at a nearby bar where I managed to capture this lovely little Image.



Once our bellies were full, and our heads caffeinated we then proceded to snap away...





Of course, after morning of intense shooting, the day would be far from over. After separating ourselves from the rest of hitkaisers army of photographers, He, my brother and I proceded towards the jewellry/gift fair to meet our families, hunt for a camera store and theoretically rest up for the long night ahead. Unfortunately this day created an incessant hatred for madrid as I had to run back and forth throughout the city hunting for an open camera store to purchase a charger for my camera, which after having found one in FNAC turned out to be completely useless, ending up with me returning to the venue to find 40 minute queues and thus me endng up having to buy yet ANOTHER charger from el Corte Ingles.

and so the day continued with nighfall bringing madrid's Noche en Blanco, a festive event where the citie's galleries and museum are open all night and the major landmarks are dressed up by famous artists.

just like this field in principe pio turned into a garden of light



I of course also used this oportunity to work on my night photography :)

Manhattan Skyline

Manhattan Skyline
Originally uploaded by sbalani

So after a long absence travelling, working and whatnot, i'm back. I'm currently involved in various projects, and as usual my attempts to be a daily blogger (which is actually harder than it seems)

As I mentioned I have recently been travelling around, but for the most part Its been in the USA. This year I had the oportunity to visit New York, and Los Angeles for the first time, which I of course loved, and cherished every opportunity to work on my photography.

New York was an incredible city to visit. It certainly surpassed all of my own expectations of what the city would look like or be. You see so much of New York in the movies, magazines, Times Square, etc. But its still always that much more when you see it in person. Ive always thought it would be a city similar to that of london, and in some ways it is. And yet so Incredibly different



What I particularly liked about New York was the gridlocked system of the streets making it easy and quick to move around, yet at the same time it creates a certain confusion as to which way you have to head. In Comparison, London or almost any European city for that matter is usually just a mess of streets and lane's giving one a completely differnet experience making it that much easier to get lost and find interesting little nooks and crannies.

Alex Jewellry Shoot

Alex Jewellry Shoot-8
Originally uploaded by sbalani

So I did a photo shoot a while back, loong before I went to my USA trip Got lots of pics of those to put up.